The Power of Circles.
Would you like to experience group communication that elicits non-reactivity, the practice of deep listening, and the capacity for each member to be heard fully without being interrupted? This is possible with circles.
Have you ever sat in a complete circle together with others?
I don’t mean a circular table or a circle of desks.
I don’t mean a circle of chairs with a leader at the helm.
I mean a circle with no tables, no desks, no boundaries, just people sat facing each other in presence.
Circles, sometimes known as talking circles, peace-making circles, and heart circles have been part of human existence since the beginning of time and are deeply rooted into the traditional practices of indigenous people. Symbolically, the circle represents completeness, wholeness, unity, oneness, strength, and original perfection. Circles have had many uses within communities and groups, including: Peace-making, healing, general discussion, education, sharing problems, problem solving, sharing gifts, as a supportive tool, for entertaining and celebrating, and for prayer, contemplation and silence.
Circles represent an equality that allows no leader but rather a line of symmetry where everyone holds the same attention, respect and stature whilst defining a strength that’s unified for the participants. When meetings at the office or on the sports pitch end up in circles, this is not a random option that ‘just happens’ but an intuitive way of bringing people together so that each member can be seen and heard.
I believe that circles provide a massive value in today’s society. I have used circles in my previous roles as a high-performance sports mentor, as teams naturally form into circles or semi-circles within this realm, so it made sense for me to incorporate the circles’ power in the Men Without Masks program.
To experience the benefits of circles, there is no point talking about its theory. There is a huge difference between thinking and doing or being part of a real-life circle. If I described the experience I will ultimately fall short, in that if there was a way for me to replicate the experience in writing, photos and video, then they wouldn’t need to exist, but they don’t replicate well when recorded or translate well to written reviews. It’s one thing to experience a sunset but the jury is still out as to if art, music, poetry and word can do it justice! Now I am not saying my Circle work is as magnificent as a sunrise or sunset, but you get the point I am trying to make – you have to feel it first hand to appreciate the experience.
Circles are just a small part of the Men’s Retreat and I work with many other elements that I’ll serialise on more blogs as I try to give you a teaser of why my events often sell out quickly and why I have been humbled by the reviews I have been receiving from grateful men that have attended. Click the image below to find out more about the MWM Events we have coming up.
***** 5 Star Average Review – out of 5!
“If you have the courage to know yourself at a deeper level, Craig White is the man for you. Thanks for the awareness and the connection you gave us. Wish you all the best in your mission.”
“Craig is doing something very special with the retreats he offers, he’s giving a much needed initiation into manhood that long time ago was given by our elders and that today is so hard to find.”
“I have been on a few of Craig’s men’s coaching retreats and I can honestly say it’s amazing and changed my life in so many ways, the confidence I got and the space I created it feels so good and like I said life changing. I met some amazing guys that I can say I have more brothers in my life 😊, overall experience 5
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⭐. Much love
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A GATHERING OF MEN – A short poetic journey through a men’s circle
The circle is prepared
A sense of sacredness prevails
Stillness, silence, potential, wisdom
A space fit for kings
The men start to arrive
One by one they sit in silence
Like jewels covered in dust
Light shining through darkness
The last man arrives
A jigsaw of immense wisdom is formed
A gaze between brothers occurs
The sealer is contained safely
The circle symbolizes wholeness and unity
A symbol of oneness, original perfection
Together we are stronger, wiser
As one we can finally conquer demons
We acknowledge our forefathers
The one’s who went before us
For they carry our lineage as men
And we carry their souls
The circle is opened, the sharing begins
Men drop down from head to heart
Compassion dripping from each man
A doorway to a deep yearning
A circle of mirrors appears for each man
There is nowhere to hide
Each mirror a reflection back to the inside
Each mirror a gift from the Divine
An uncomfortable charge appears in my gut
What is this man reflecting back to me
Is it my dark side I don’t want others to see
Is it my greatness I’ve have been told to supress
My shadow is exposed and brought to the light
I can close, contract, run away, hide
But I decide to open, smile, acknowledge the gift
Immediately I am free, I can breath, stillness returns
We talk about the light, we talk about the dark
We talk about the past, we talk about our fears
We pour our hearts into the circle, into the magic
We free our souls for the benefit of others
We laugh, we cry, we sing, we are silent
Men cultivating authentic love for other men
What a wonderful site, a wonderful blessing
A great event in a world of darkness
The circle naturally comes to an end
All men are complete
Each man leaves with a greater sense of wisdom
A greater sense of life
He turns away and leaves for his home
Each person he passes feels his compassion
A man full of love, a man full of light
A man who makes a difference